Pregnancy Infractions
by Slivering
Summary: Unfortunately for Echizen Ryoma, the one day Inui juice tastes somewhat normal, it results in consequences far worse than he could have imagined. Pregnancy symptoms were something even Inui's data couldn't have predicted. HIATUS.
1. Installment One

Installment One

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**A/N: Okay, so this chapter is _really _old, like when I first got into PoT (Well, that's not that old, but still) and I decided not to post or continue the story because it was just too weird. Then, lying in bed, with like two minutes until I had to go to bed, I had sudden urges to post and continue this story after re-reading it. The writing quality isn't fantastic, but I think it's pretty amusing, and I'd like to continue it. It's a bit _odd_, but I've always wanted to write Ryoma pregnant at twelve, without him actually being pregnant because than he would have to have sex at twelve. And that's unusual. Plus, I can't imagine Ryoma with a fat stomach. I really, really can't. Okay, without further ado, here you go!**

* * *

"Whoever comes _last_ in today's twenty laps will have to suffer the consequences of the newest edition of the _Raspberry Silver Deluxe Inui Juice_." Inui adjusted his glasses before revealing a sparkling jug of red liquid, holding it in the air like it was a trophy.

There was a murmur of disapproval among the regulars as they debated whether or not they should bribe Fuji into purposely losing because the tensai didn't really mind the juice in the first place. However, they had tried that last time, and for punishment, Inui had made them each drink a full pitcher of his _Natural Moss Inui Juice_. There was a shudder at the memory, and they knew that Fuji couldn't help them this time.

"Raspberry Silver Deluxe Inui Juice?" Momoshiro frowned at the name. "I think Inui-senpai's juice names get weirder and weirder each time."

Kikumaru folded his hands behind his head. "That's 'cause he's running out of things to use."

"Sometimes, I wonder if these juices are even safe." Kawamura eyed the container wearily. He knew he made some bad sushi at times, but that was nothing compared to what Inui forced down their throats. Especially this time – Kawamura couldn't help notice that the red juice looked extra revolting.

"They're probably not." Momoshiro ranted. "Remember how I got the stomach flu last week? I bet it's the result of Inui-senpai's juice!"

Kaidoh strolled up to the angry power-player, hissing through his teeth. "I'm pretty sure your stomach flu was from how much you ate the last time we had free sushi at Taka-san's."

Momoshiro's eyebrow quirked in annoyance. "Oh _yeah_?"

"_Yeah._"

Fuji stood calmly off to the side, hands stuffed in his pockets, a gentle breeze blowing through his hair as he observed the unhappy tennis players. His tastebuds were long since dead, and he particularly enjoyed the things that his friends hated the most. Kawamura's Wasabi sushi, Inui Juice, that slimy soup Momoshiro once tried to make; he figured he was either just lucky or his friends had no sense in taste.

"I think Inui's juice is perfectly safe." He said. "I drink it all the time, and nothing ever happens to me."

"That's 'cause he's not human." Momoshiro whispered to Oishi, who was swallowing thickly but refusing to complain. Even he despised the juice, but being vice-captain, he was determined to set a good example for the rest of the team.

"Alright, let's not argue about this." Oishi clapped his hands together; Tezuka was finishing off his exams for first semester at the moment, so the worry-wart of Seigaku had taken over the command for his place. "This process is necessary for us to run at our full potentials."

"Not really!" All the regulars chorused.

Inui smirked, pleased at the moans and groans he was causing by his juice. It felt really lovely to have so much power over the regulars, pushing them to their very best simply because his juice was that horrifying. He didn't really see what was wrong with it though – he drank it all the time, and not only was it nutritionally healthy, it tasted fantastic. Well, that was his opinion anyway.

Placing the jug back onto the table, he rubbed his hands together. "C'mon, let's get started."

Kikumaru tilted his head. "Ne, where's Ochibi?"

There was a mutter of realization as everyone glanced around to see that their youngest member was not to be seen. Momoshiro cocked his head, surprised. "That's weird; Echizen's never late for practice unless he's got library duty or somethin' like that. He even mentioned something about practice during lunch this afternoon."

"Oh well," Oishi shrugged slowly. "I mean, we'll just make him run extra laps. We can't just wait around all day."

"Hey!" Momoshiro exclaimed in protest. "If Echizen runs laps by himself, he has _no _chance of drinking the Inui Juice."

"Yeah, how's that fair?" Kikumaru agreed, bobbing his head vigorously.

Oishi's frown deepened, but before he could manage a reply, Inui cut in with a sly smile on his face. He held two empty glasses in both of his hands. "Oh, did I mention? Whoever is late for practice has to drink _two _glasses of Inui Juice no matter what the circumstances are."

There a pause, before laughter exploded around the court. Momoshiro grinned with satisfaction, although he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for his best friend. Kikumaru bit his lip, rocking on the heels of his feet with displeasure. "Nya, poor Ochibi; _Two whole glasses _of Inui Juice." He said unhappily. "Ochibi might die!"

This alerted Oishi, who quickly began to panic. "Yeah, maybe that's a bit too much. After all, Echizen's smaller than all of us, so I'm sure he gets the most affected by the drink. He might not be able to handle two glasses."

"How does it matter if he's smaller than us?" Kaidoh raised an eyebrow.

Oishi's voice was hot with concern. "Well, you know, beer and stuff affects light weight people more than heavy weight, so maybe it's the same with Inui Juice, and we all know that Echizen weighs the least from all of us-"

Momoshiro nodded. "Oh _yeah_, that kid weighs like _nothing._ Remember that time he was sick and stubbornly still wanted to do practice, and we had to run laps with the same Inui Juice circumstances?"

"Oh yeah!" Kikumaru jumped in. "And he was starting to slow down, so Momo felt sorry for him and gave him a piggy back ride the rest of the way."

"He was super light." Momoshiro grinned. "Or maybe I'm just really strong."

"Either way," Oishi cut in quickly, flustered. "We can't put Echizen's life at stake. Maybe the Inui juice can kill him, and we don't want something like that happening-"

"_Silence._"

Everyone stopped talking to see Inui's lips pursed in a thin line, arms crossed over his chest. He couldn't believe his ears – did they really think his juice could do any harm to Echizen? Maybe he would throw up a little, have a stomach-ache, or even pass out, but it wouldn't be _deadly._ He cared about the twelve-year old as much as the next regular, and just because he was all technical with numbers and stuff didn't mean he was willing to heartlessly kill their kouhai.

"My juice is perfectly safe." He said each word clearly like he was explaining it to kindergartners. Well, in his opinion, he _was, _considering he was twenty times smarter than the rest of them. "There's a 0% chance that Echizen could die from this juice. All my recipes are thoroughly tested before being used for practice, so there's absolutely nothing to worry about."

"What do you mean Echizen could die?" A voice asked suspiciously.

The regulars, including Inui, spun around to see Ryoma standing boredly in the court, racket swung over his shoulder, free hand bouncing a tennis ball against the ground. A small smirk formed on his lips as they looked at him in surprise. "Sorry I'm late," he said, cockiness evident in his voice.

"When'd he get here?" Momoshiro said incredulously.

"He appeared out of nowhere, nya."

"Saa…he's just quiet like that."

Ryoma innocently tipped his head towards the sun, gleaming light shining on his cheeks. His golden eyes burned with an everlasting, never-ending passion. "So, what's this talk about Inui Juice killing me?" he narrowed his eyes at the creator of the drink. "It's safe, right? 'Cause the Nationals are comin' up and I'm not going to die right before them."

"Geez, Ochibi." Kikumaru shook his head violently. "You could die, and all you care about is the _Nationals_?"

Inui cut in. "He can't die, actually. I've already told you that there's a 0% chance that this juice is fatal."

Ryoma tapped his tennis ball against the side of his racket in a rythmetic pattern, the patter of the ball filling his ears with familiar comfort. He knew the juice didn't do any harm – no matter how gross it was. Besides, he already knew he wasn't going to be last in laps. It wasn't in his nature to lose. "Who cares?" he shrugged. "Can we do our laps now or what?"

"Um, actually, doesn't he have to drink two glasses of Inui Juice because he's late?" Oishi asked nervously.

Ryoma choked, "_What_?"

Inui cleared his throat. "Actually, no, he doesn't. He _was _late, but we didn't start our laps yet, so he isn't really missing out on anything…which means, he doesn't have to suffer the punishment."

Ryoma sighed in relief.

There weren't any complaints from the regulars, as nobody (besides Fuji) enjoyed watching each other sink into the consequence of drinking Inui juice. They all began to stretch out their muscles, eyes darting anxiously at the bright red jug on the table, before stretching harder and quicker. Inui had a particular glint in his glasses today, which they could only infer meant that the juice was extra-disgusting.

"Alright, ready for laps?" Inui set up his timer. "As we've done before, not only is Inui Juice presented to the person who comes in last but also whoever cannot manage a lap per minut-"

"Ryoma-sama, Ryoma-sama, , I _missed _you."

Ryoma's shoulders tensed as the annoying voice of Tomoka rung in his ears. He grasped his racket tighter and put on the most bored expression he could manage. Tomoka and Sakuno walked into the courts, the former dragging the latter by the wrist. The pig-tailed girl's cheeks were flushed red from excitement, a twinkle in her eye.

"Can we watch you practice?" she bounced on the heels of her feel excitedly.

"Tomo-chan…" Sakuno murmured disapprovingly.

Oishi smiled warmly at the two girls. "Why not? As long as you don't disturb us, you should be fine."

"All right!" Tomoka plopped down onto the grass, stretching her limbs and resting her head on her elbows. Sakuno daintily sat next to her, cross-legged, fiddling shyly with her braid. She frequently glanced at Ryoma who wasn't paying attention to them, before blushing pink and looking away.

Inui gripped the timer. "Ready everyone?"

All the regulars lined up at the starting point, sweaty just from thinking about the aftermath. They were teammates, but at the moment, they were temporary enemies.

"_Go!_"

There was a smother of dust as the teenagers (and one preteen) took off for the first lap, legs pounding against the ground, pumping furiously. They were so quick that they quickly disappeared around the first corner in less than a few seconds, leaving peace and quiet among Inui and the two girls. He glanced at his watch with slyness written all over his face.

Once they were past the first few laps, the fear and adrenaline slowly drowned to a steady pace. Each of the regulars stayed fairly close to one another, jogging. As they passed by, Tomoka grinned to Sakuno. "The boys look so hot when they run, don't they?" she giggled at Sakuno who looked at her with a horrified expression.

Tomoka didn't care. "_Especially _Ryoma-sama."

The two girls glanced over as Ryoma ran past them, breathing lightly, sweat starting to form on his face. Tomoka's hands curled into fists. "So hot," she said under her breath, bouncing in place, unable to stay still.

Sakuno's cheeks coloured. "Oh Tomo-chan."

Inui looked at his stopwatch as the regulars hustled past the second-to-last-lap. "One more lap," he warned since it seemed the regulars had forgotten that it was a contest. Immediately, after the instinctive surprise, there was a mad rush as they passed the first corner.

"Last lap already?" Momoshiro said, charging forward.

"I'm not drinking that Inui Juice!" Kikumaru panted heavily, willing his legs to go even faster.

Ryoma wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, hurriedly trying to keep up with his senpai. He always assured himself he was at a disadvantage – after all, his senpai were all taller than him, resulting in longer legs, which meant longer strides, which meant faster running. He was sure he had to exert himself more to keep up.

"C'mon Echizen, hurry, Fuji's catching up to us!" Momoshiro warned. Fuji had been taking it lightly, but just for the sake of watching one of the members have to drink the juice, he had sped up his pace so he wouldn't be last. Ryoma looked behind his shoulder before sprinting forward, determined not to be last.

As they rounded the last corner, it appeared that everyone was running together in what seemed would result in a tie, rushing maniacally towards the finishing point.

Inui bit his lip. _It'll probably be a tie. Sigh, that means my lovely juice will go to waste._

"Go Ryoma-Sama!" Tomoka suddenly screamed.

Ryoma glanced at her distractedly, but before he could ignore her and keep going, he found himself tripping over the damned girl's outstretched leg. With a thud, he fell to the ground, his hands luckily stopping him from scraping anything. He groaned, glancing up as the rest of the regulars crossed first.

He winced as he got up, his fingers stinging a bit from the impact. Breathing heavily, he turned to glare at Tomoka, who was shrinking back. Sakuno chewed on her lower lip, apologizing for her friend's behaviour.

With a sigh, he heaved himself to stand straight. "Next time, stay out of the way." He mumbled, not caring that Tomoka looked crestfallen. He dragged himself over to the rest of his teammates who were shooting him pitiful looks.

"How'd you come last?" Oishi asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Ryoma shrugged slowly. "Tomo-chan had her leg out and I tripped."

"That sucks." Momoshiro said.

"Oh well," Ryoma said.

"Oh well, huh?" Inui's creepy voice sent shivers down the twelve-year old's back. His muscles tensed and he sheepishly looked behind his shoulder to see the data-collector grinning widely, a clear glass of juice in his hand. "You came in last, which means-"

"But, it wasn't even my fault." Ryoma protested weakly. "She tripped me-"

"It doesn't matter what the circumstances were. You came in last, which means you have to suffer the consequences." Inui's eyes glinted with satisfaction as he held out the glass. "Now drink up."

Ryoma swallowed thickly, wiping his sweaty hands against his shorts before taking the glass in between his fingers. The rest of the regulars, as well as Tomoka (with a guilty expression) and Sakuno, watched the scene with sympathy.

Squeezing his eyes shut, the muscles in his eyelids contracting, Ryoma gulped down the drink as fast as he could. _The quicker I'm done, the quicker this is over._

Coughing as he finished the last bit of the drink, he didn't even wait for the bad taste to settle in before starting to run towards the tennis court exit. It took him a moment to realize that the juice hadn't tasted all that bad – in fact, it had been completely tasteless. Ryoma froze half-way in the middle of the courts and waited.

When nothing happened, the corners of his lips quirked upwards. _Lucky me._

Calmly, he strode back over to where the regulars were standing with their jaws dropped. He smirked, grabbing his racket and placing it over his shoulder. "That didn't taste too bad, Inui-senpai." He said haughtily. His teammates stared at him with confusion.

Inui blinked. "What? You didn't find it bad?"

Ryoma nodded. "It didn't really have much of a taste at all, actually."

Momoshiro looked at him worriedly. "Are you sure the Inui Juice hasn't gotten rid of Ryoma's senses or something? I mean, how can he _not _pass out or throw up or something. Inui Juice always tastes bad."

Ryoma glared at him. "It didn't taste bad, and my senses are perfectly fine."

Inui scribbled furiously in his notebook, flipping pages, frantically scrolling through the words. "It just doesn't make any sense. It should have tasted bad, this is the exact formula as one of my previous juices with a bit of added raspberry flavour – it shouldn't have tasted tasteless."

Oishi sounded relieved. "Don't mind. What's done is done. Let's continue with practice."

The rest of the regulars shrugged and agreed, walking over to the courts to start practice matches. Only Inui stayed put, holding his notebook, murmuring to himself.

"It just doesn't make sense…"

* * *

Halfway through practice, Tezuka arrived at the tennis courts. He silently walked past the side towards where Inui was hunched over his notebook, not wanting to disturb the matches. Everyone was playing quite motivated today without any distractions, and he wanted that flow of game to continue. Joining Inui to survey the matches, the captain noticed that he looked rather tense.

Inui was chewing on his pencil, flipping through pages rapidly, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Is everything alright, Inui?" Tezuka asked, concerned.

Inui looked up in surprise, before hastily nodding, snapping his notebook shut. "Yes. I mean, well, there's a 50% chance that I've made a rather horrible mistake."

"A mistake?"

Inui frowned nervously, biting his lower lip, before adjusting his glasses. There was no way out, he assumed. However, he wasn't even sure if his prediction was correct – he hoped it wasn't, because if it _was…_he almost shuddered at what would occur.

"Inui, what's the problem?" Tezuka said, voice laced with worry. Inui wasn't often distressed, so he knew whatever was bothering him had to be serious. Inui gulped, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, his face burning. He knew the mistake was quite severe, and he didn't want to think about the consequences.

His eyes floated to Ryoma who was playing against Momoshiro, his small frame running up to the net to do a drop volley. Inui swallowed thickly. This was _not_ good.

Tezuka's eyes followed to Ryoma. "Is something wrong with Echizen, then?"

Inui fumbled, "Well, no, well, yes, kind of, but it isn't exactly…"

This was really unnerving for the captain. He had never seen Inui sound so flustered. Placing a hand on the data-player's shoulder, Tezuka demanded what was on the boy's mind. "Inui, just tell me. I'm sure it's nothing we can't solve."

Inui took a long gulp of air. "Fine."

He fidgeted in a moment of silence. "The problem is that, well, lately, I conjured a new Inui Juice. It's called the _Raspberry Silver Deluxe Inui Juice_. It's a new version from the original edition – the same ingredients and everything – except, well, one ingredient."

Tezuka was confused. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Inui stared at his notebook cover, not meeting Tezuka's eyes. "The one new ingredient is supposed to be harmless – except…except, well, if it is mixed with this other ingredient, it can cause, um, problems."

"I don't see what you're getting at. Is the juice dangerous?"

"Well, not _dangerous_ really." Inui said. "It's just, well, when Echizen said the drink didn't taste bad, I was surprised since all I'd done was add one new ingredient…so I checked over my notes…and realized that that one new ingredient mixed with one of the original ingredients causes….the juice to taste tasteless…"

Tezuka raised an eyebrow. "That's nothing serious though."

Inui took a deep breath. "But not only does it cause the juice to become tasteless, but it also makes the person who drinks it…um…I don't know how to say this because I'm not a hundred percent sure, but…"

"Just spit it out, Inui." Tezuka was getting impatient. It wasn't in his personality, but Inui had built the suspense up, and since it was about their youngest player, he wanted to know exactly what it was.

"Uh, the person who drinks it…" Inui licked his lips. "Um…"

"_Inui._"

"Gets pregnant."

Tezuka would have passed out if he was faint-hearted like Kawamura. His breath hitched in surprise, his eyes narrowing. He wasn't easily shocked – but this, _this_ declaration from Inui was enough to get his heart pumping and the blood rushing to his ears. His fingers clenched and unclenched. He hopes Inui was joking, but one look at his face and he knew that he wasn't.

"Echizen…our _twelve_-year old…is not pregnant." Tezuka didn't think it was possible. After all, there was only one way to get pregnant, and he wasn't going to note it out loud. All he knew was that it was impossible, first and foremost, for a boy to get pregnant.

Inui quickly intercepted. "Oh, wait, you've misunderstood. He's not actually _pregnant._"

Tezuka sighed in relief.

"He's just going to experience pregnancy symptoms."

The relief fled as quick as it had come, and Tezuka whipped his head towards Inui. He didn't want to glare at Inui, he really didn't – but he couldn't help himself. "What do you mean?" he asked carefully.

Inui straightened his shoulders. "The ingredient, normally harmless, when mixed with the other ingredient-"

Tezuka didn't want to hear about ingredients mixed with other ingredients. He wanted a firm answer.

"Well, it's just the way it is. It's rare, and most people don't know about it, but I've researched about it once and was fascinated – but it completely slipped my mind while I was conjured the juice. It's actually quite miraculous, but for our situation, it's not the best."

Tezuka tried to calm himself down. He was the tennis captain – he could deal with tennis-related issues. It was safe to say that this was not a tennis related issue. "Explain to me what you mean by experiencing pregnancy symptoms."

Inui sighed. "It's simple, really. For nine months, it'll be exactly like he's pregnant except, one, there won't be an actual baby. Two, he won't get fat since there's no actual baby, and three, he won't go into labour."

The colour drained from the captain's face. "Nine months?" he said. "That's – that's way too long. If you mean he'll be tired and throwing up and everything for nine months, then how will he participate in the Nationals? How can this be Inui? Surely you have some kind of drink to fix him up."

Inui perked at that. "I'll try my best to make a counter-recipe for this, and I'm sure after some work, I can get it done, so the chances are that he'll be able to play in the Nationals. However, until then," he grimaced. "Echizen might have to suffer a bit."

Tezuka frowned deeply. "I don't – I don't know what to make of this. Does Echizen know?"

"No. I just figured it out, so I haven't had a chance to tell anyone but you."

The captain didn't know how they were supposed to explain this to Ryoma. His expressions, his reaction, his emotions – he knew, even for someone who was so calm and cold, would be out of control. He was only twelve-years old – not ready to experience anything that Inui was suggesting. Clearing his throat, Tezuka said loudly, "Echizen, come here."

Inui tensed. "You're not planning on telling him now, are you?"

"No." Tezuka said firmly. "I'm not. _You_ are."

Before Inui had a chance to reply, he had to clamp his mouth shut. Ryoma jogged up to them, sweaty from practice, his tennis racket grasped in his right hand. He had been practicing playing his right hand against Momoshiro's stronger shots, trying to increase the skill in his non-dominant hand. Rocking on the heels of his feet, energized from playing, he waited for a response. When Tezuka didn't say something, he decided to speak first.

"Bouchou." He greeted.

"Echizen." Tezuka nodded slightly, worry gnawing at his stomach. He wasn't sure how Ryoma was going to take it.

Ryoma shifted. "So, what's-"

"We have a bit of a problem. And it concerns you, unfortunately."

"Me?" the boy said anxiously. "But I haven't done anything."

Tezuka folded his arms across his chest tightly. "You haven't done a thing wrong, except maybe next time keep an eye out for Tomoka's foot. It's Inui who made a mistake, and now you will be paying for it. Inui, explain to Echizen what the situation is."

Inui swallowed hard, pulling at the collar of his shirt. Ryoma stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Well, you see…" he began.


	2. Installment Two

Installment Two

**A/N: There's a little Voting thing at the bottom. Make sure to check it out ;) **

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Ryoma couldn't believe what he was hearing. The moment Inui got half-way through the explanation, he felt like he was going to throw up. His stomach tightened in knots and his throat went dry. His senpai had really done it this time – pregnancy symptoms. He _had_ to be joking. This had to be some kind of stupid prank; even though Inui rarely played pranks.

"See? Now don't worry too much," Inui said quickly, not noticing the paling face of their youngest member. "I'll have a juice to counter the effects soon enough, so for now, just sit tight and wait."

"Sit tight…and _wait_?" Ryoma repeated, dumbfounded. He could handle losing a match (although barely). He could handle not drinking Ponta for more than a day. He could even handle Tomoka's extreme chatter at times. But this- _this_ was not something any male could handle without losing control of their emotions.

The boy stumbled backwards slightly, nearly bumping into the fence. "Please tell me you're joking, senpai."

Inui stared at him solemnly. Ryoma turned to Tezuka. "Buchou, please tell me Inui-senpai is joking."

Tezuka sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head. "Unfortunately not."

Ryoma knew Tezuka wouldn't pull his leg like this, so what Inui was saying _must _be true. For a moment, he just stood there with a bewildered expression, still unsure of how this was physically possible. Then again, Inui juice had once turned Kikumaru into a cat, so perhaps it _was _possible. The boy took a deep breath, trying to regain his control.

"But I'm not actually pregnant?" he clarified.

"That's not exactly possible," Inui stated matter-of-factly. "You'll just experience what it feels like to be pregnant. Look on the bright side, when you have a wife, you'll be able to sympathize with her."

Ryoma decided this was not the time to mention that he was gay. He glowered at his senpai with dark eyes. "There is no _bright _side to this," he said indignantly, wondering how he was supposed to maintain his reputation when he was throwing up and having mood swings. He fiddled with the end of his tennis racket.

"How long will it take for you to get a counter-recipe?" Ryoma asked hopefully. "By tomorrow morning?"

Inui coughed and adjusted his glasses. "Actually, it may take a few days."

"Few?"

"Well, it all depends on how easy it is to counter it. These things take a great deal of work and research."

Ryoma stared at his senpai for a while, still trying to absorb what was happening. He was _twelve _for goodness sake! He frowned and turned to Tezuka, who looked surprisingly worried for the smaller boy. "Buchou," Ryoma said almost accusingly. "Shouldn't you be punishing him with laps?"

Inui shut his notebook anxiously. "There's a 79% chance that I will have to run 50 laps."

Tezuka calmly replied, "Not 50, but 70. Go, _now._"

"Right," Inui said to himself, still thinking about how he was supposed to think of a counter-recipe. Despite the fact that he was a brilliant student, it would still be a challenge. He grabbed his book and started to jog towards the running block. The incident had been accidental, which would make it all the harder to solve. However, one glare from the preteen affected reminded him that if he didn't fix something up soon, Ryoma would most definitely kill him.

"Buchou," Ryoma said offhandedly as he watched Inui run. "Did Inui-senpai say how long it would take for it to start…working? I don't feel any different."

Tezuka shook his head. "No, but I'll get the information once he's done his laps. For now, go back to practice."

Ryoma frowned, and glanced down at his stomach. At least there wasn't a real baby.

XXX

Once practice was over, Ryoma hurried to the change rooms and tried to change as quickly as possible. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the rest of the regulars. From the corner of his eye, he could see Inui guiltily scribbling in his notebook, trying to figure out a counter-recipe as quickly as he could. Ryoma was relieved that he was staying quiet about the whole Pregnancy-symptoms thing.

It was kind of embarrassing.

"Oi, Echizen…" Momoshiro swatted him on the head. Ryoma wriggled away, and glared.

"You look so frustrated," the spiky-haired boy grinned. "What's wrong? Did Tezuka-buchou scold you or something?"

"No," Ryoma replied roughly. He tugged his cap over his head, and slung his tennis bag over his shoulder. Dressed in his school uniform, Momoshiro couldn't help but notice his best friend looked completely innocent and cute. Especially with that petulant pout on his face.

Kikumaru shot Ryoma a dazzling smile. "Ochibi, remember, you can always talk to your senpai-tachi if something's the matter!"

Oishi nodded vigorously, new worry lines etching onto his forehead. "Yes, like Eiji says, we're _here _for you."

_This is so lame, _Ryoma thought, ducking his head to cover his expression. He wasn't even acting that different – just grumpy. Anyone would be grumpy if they found out what he had recently discovered. Underneath his cap, he gave Inui a frightening scowl. The data-player looked sheepish, adjusted his glasses, before returning to his notebook.

"We're facing St. Rudolph soon, aren't we?" Kawamura pointed out.

"Isn't Fujiko's little brother in that school?" Kikumaru wondered.

Fuji's lips tightened at the mention of his brother, and he nodded silently. Ryoma could feel the air of tension around the room, and frowned. He still didn't know the regulars well enough to have information about their siblings, but Fuji having a brother was definitely a surprise. He vaguely wondered if they had a problem or something. The expression on Fuji's face indicated that that was a possibility.

Inui peered up from his notebook, and suddenly looked slightly frazzled. He turned to Tezuka, who had been silent during the whole conversation.

"Tezuka," Inui stated. "I just realized…we have a bit of a problem."

The captain pursed his lips. "I've figured that out, Inui."

"But how will Echizen participate in the match against St. Rudoph? According to my calculations, the new counter-drink I'm brewing will take _at least _a week to finish properly. The game is this Friday, and Echizen will be in no shape to play if he's pregnant…"

Tezuka's frown deepened. "That might be a problem. Are you sure you can't get it done any earlier?"

"I'll try my best, but there aren't any guarantees-"

"Ochibi's _pregnant?!_" Kikumaru's mouth dropped open.

The two third years looked around to see the rest of the regulars' silent, staring at them with wide, bewildered eyes. They hadn't realized everyone had stopped talking to listen to them. Tezuka glanced over to see Ryoma standing there with his face flushed, looking like he was about to murder both of them with his expression.

"What?" Oishi looked like he was about to faint. "Excuse me, Tezuka…but…but…_pregnant_?"

"Echizen!" Momoshiro shouted. "What have you been hiding from us? And I thought I was supposed to be your best friend."

Ryoma stared helplessly as the club room shattered into chaos. He didn't understand what his senpai-tachi were doing – he was a _boy. _Purely male. Fully testosterone. He had no body parts that could aid in getting himself pregnant. And yet, the people in the room were losing their mind. _My senpai-tachi are stupid…_

"I wonder who he did it with!" Momoshiro exclaimed.

"Surely not Sakuno-chan," Kikumaru cried. "She's so innocent!"

"She?" Oishi fretted. "Echizen's only twelve too. I can't believe he would do…I mean…for his age…and to get…I never thought he was so…"

Tezuka tried to gain attention of the mishap that had just occurred. At least Kawamura had the decency to not say anything, and Kaidoh was staring at them all like they'd gone stupid. "He's a boy, fshhhu…." The second year hissed under his breath, not wanting to get involved. Fuji stood with an amused expression, perpetually smiling. "This is interesting, ne?" he said to no one in particular.

The captain cleared his throat. "Everyone,"

Nobody listened. The whole club room had turned into a disaster. Oishi was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Nyaa, Ochibi, how could you!? I always thought you were an innocent little tennis freshman!"

"…and pregnant? Echizen, of all things…"

"…what are we going to do? Should he abort? Keep it? Adopt? Oh, this is just _terrible!_"

"Saa…interesting…"

"Fshuuu…"

Frustrated, Tezuka spoke louder, and this time, with such force that it overpowered the mingling voices of the team.

"_Silence!"_

The team fell quiet, distressed expressions on their faces as they turned to Tezuka. All of them were looking for him for guidance, hoping he could explain the incredulous thing that had just been spoken. Inui shrunk himself into a corner, and pretended to be intensely involved in his notebook. Ryoma had also gone to the opposite corner, looking positively vicious.

"Echizen is not pregnant," Tezuka said calmly. "It's quite impossible. He's male."

"Thank you," Ryoma nodded to the captain appreciatively. At least _someone _happened to understand his gender.

"Well, that's true…" Momoshiro noted, and he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess I was just so shocked I didn't really think…"

"You never think," Kaidoh pointed out gruffly. Momoshiro's eyes slid over with venom, but he decided for once not to argue back. He was too curious about the situation they were in. He glanced over and saw Ryoma staring at the ground with a frown on his face. The violet-eyed boy sighed. He was still their little Echizen. He couldn't believe even for a moment he had thought that Ryoma had had sex and was pregnant.

"Phew!" Kikumaru sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Ochibi hasn't lost his wonderful innocence."

Oishi collapsed against the bench, breathing heavily. "Thank god. Tezuka, why didn't you just say so?"

Tezuka narrowed his eyes, deciding he wouldn't comment on that. However, he could see all of the regulars staring at him with wide eyes, waiting impatiently for an explanation. Since Inui had shrunk away, and Ryoma obviously didn't want to speak, it seemed he would have to take charge.

"Inui made a fatal mistake," Tezuka summarized briefly. "Somehow, the Inui juice Echizen drunk has forced him to have pregnancy symptoms. It's no worry though, as Inui's coming up with a counter-recipe as soon as he can."

There was a moment of silence. Then, the club room exploded into laughter. Momoshiro was cackling at his best friend's misfortune, and Kikumaru was excited to see Ryoma acting anything other calm. They weren't really taking into account the other painful symptoms that came with pregnancy – it just seemed so ridiculously funny.

Fuji looked incredibly pleased. "How _interesting_."

Kawamura blinked, "Is that even _possible_?"

"Pregnancy…symptoms?" Oishi put a hand to his heart. His eyes were frantic. "Inui!"

Inui pursed his lips. "At least he'll be able to sympathize with his wife in the future."

Ryoma glared at him darkly from under his cap, cheeks hot from embarrassment. Kikumaru clung to his body, squeezing the life out of him. Momoshiro simultaneously was giving him a head noogie, violet eyes bright with amusement.

"Echizen, does that mean you'll be getting mood swings?" the power-player grinned widely. "Will we get to see the great Echizen Ryoma cry?"

"Yadda," Ryoma spat. He wriggled out of his friend's grip, determined to get away. He had already changed into his clothes, so all he had to do was escape from the wrath of his senpai-tachi. With all the strength he could muster, he stumbled out of Kikumaru and Momoshiro's grip. They both just grinned at him, before the entire group starting chattering ambitiously about this new revelation.

Ryoma, as quietly as he could, slunk out of the club room.

Only Tezuka noticed him slipping away, but decided not say anything. The boy needed a break, anyway.

"Inui, I've been meaning to ask you," the captain said over the noise of the regulars.

Inui turned to him, adjusting his notebook. "Yes?"

"When will the juice start taking effect? Echizen was asking me about it previously."

Inui's eyes scanned over his notebook. "According to my calculations…." He blinked, "a few hours or so."

Tezuka frowned, and stared at the space which Ryoma had disappeared from. He couldn't help feel sorry for the twelve-year old. He knew if it was _him _who was going to experience mood swings and pregnancy symptoms, he would have taken a week off from the face of the earth until Inui fixed a counter-recipe.

He sighed at the chaos of the club room. Some things couldn't be helped, he supposed.

XXX

Once out of the suffocating club room, Ryoma hastily made way down the sidewalk. He didn't slow down until he was sure he was away from the yells of his senpai-tachi. He still couldn't believe the situation he was in – it was downright embarrassing, but it was also kind of scaring him. He wouldn't have such mood swings that he couldn't control his emotions, would he? He couldn't imagine himself having mental breakdowns.

Maybe Inui was wrong, and the whole thing was a big misunderstanding.

Ryoma touched his stomach again. Hopefully being pregnant didn't feel _that _bad. He didn't feel any different at the moment.

"I'm home," Ryoma called, opening the door and kicking off his shoes.

Immediately, he was greeted by his father skipping into the room. "Oi, Seishounen!"

"Oyaji," Ryoma remarked with distaste, and hastily made way for his bedroom. Nanjiroh watched him scramble for the staircase, and quickly followed.

"Hey, don't be such a meanie to your beloved dad! I just want a match…"

"Yadda," Ryoma took the stairs two at a time. "I have homework."

Nanjiroh watched him disappear behind the doorway with a frown. Really, all he wanted was a nice match with his little baby boy, to see how he was improving with his tennis skills. Ryoma had been getting better at a rapid rate ever since the day he had been 'reborn', and Nanjiroh was determined to cultivate the skills while he could. _Homework, hmph, what a lame excuse…_

Meanwhile, in his room, Ryoma tiredly flopped onto the bed. He could still feel the strain of tennis practice aching in his legs. He curled up under the blankets. Inui and Tezuka's words mingled in his mind, and he growled to himself. _Pregnancy symptoms. Ch', how stupid. I'm not a girl. _

A paw nudged at his neck, and Ryoma warily looked up to see Karupin. He smiled softly then, and let the kitten curl up against his shoulder and head. He stroked the fur absentmindedly. A few seconds after that, drowsiness compelled Ryoma to close his eyes, and he buried himself further in the duvet.

The door promptly burst open.

"Yo, kiddo!" his father barged into the room, and eagerly zipped to his bedside.

Ryoma frowned, and winced. "Go away."

Nanjiroh's smile tightened slightly, and he held the two spare rackets over his shoulder. "Homework, huh?" he taunted. "This is called being lazy, young one."

"I just had practice," Ryoma mumbled in retort. He hugged Karupin to his chest, and bright gold eyes glared tiredly at his father. He wasn't sure why he was so tired – his body just felt like it had overexerted itself, even though practice hadn't been anything out of the ordinary. He wondered if this had to do with the pregnancy symptoms thing. His stomach gave an uncomfortable nudge.

_Great. Just fantastic. It's starting._

The racket tapped against his shoulder. "Hey, it's too early to be sleeping," Nanjiroh grunted.

Ryoma curled up into the warmth of his bed. "Too bad."

The older man peered at him with slight concern. "Are you okay, Ryoma? You're acting…odd."

"Odd?"

"Not playing tennis, sleepin' early, being colder than usual…" Nanjiroh's lips split into a grin. "Girl problems?"

"I'm gay," Ryoma deadpanned. He was just so grumpy he didn't even care.

"You're – wait…you're _what_?" Nanjiroh blinked, grip slackening around the racket. Then, he began to cackle maniacally, laugher flooding out of his mouth as he clutched his stomach. Tears sprung to his eyes, and he continued to sputter with glee, "Phew! That was funny! Nice one kiddo! You…gay…ha…_my _son. That just made my day."

He happily laughed his way out the door of the bedroom, forgetting all about the tennis match. Ryoma didn't bother to tell him it was the truth, and faintly sighed in relief, head hitting the pillow. Karupin once again snuggled next to him, and Ryoma tried to ignore the slight, more persistent pangs in his stomach. It couldn't be _that _bad.

It really, really couldn't.

XXX

When Ryoma woke up from his nap, the first thing he noticed was that he felt extremely tired. He buried his body in the blankets, muscles aching from tennis practice. Or, at least, he _hoped _it was tennis practice. He couldn't bear the thought of it being a sign of Inui's mistake. Grabbing the nearest pillow, he hugged it to his chest and clutched it tightly.

His stomach didn't really hurt or anything – it felt slightly _off_, but it wasn't painful. It was more the fatigue that was getting to him.

The next thing the twelve-year old noticed was that he had to pee really badly. _Is this supposed to be a symptom too? _He thought grumpily, and hauled himself off the bed. He stumbled towards the bathroom. Standing up, the tiredness eased, and he felt almost normal. Aside from a faint weariness that wouldn't go away, he didn't _feel _pregnant.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

_Ch', those girls are always over exaggerating, _Ryoma thought. Once done in the bathroom, Ryoma made his way downstairs. At the kitchen table, his father and mother were sitting eating dinner. Ryoma was a little surprised to see his mother home – she was rarely home lately, always busy at work, stressed out over phone calls. He knew she tried her best to communicate with him when she could, but sometimes, it just wasn't _enough._

Ryoma shook his head brusquely. No need to mull over stupid things.

"Yo, kid, you're finally awake!"

Frowning, Ryoma ignored his father and settled into the chair in front of him. His mother smiled tiredly and pushed a dish of pasta towards him.

"Hi dear, how was your day?" she asked.

_Well, I'm apparently going to experience what it feels like to carry a baby, mom. Thanks so very much for asking, _Ryoma thought bitterly. He stabbed his fork into the bowl.

"Fine."

Nanjiroh eagerly ate, "He's been in an awful mood all day. I know exactly what he needs."

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"A tennis match, duh," Nanjiroh explained. He glanced at Rinko pointedly. "The young man's depressed."

"I'm not depressed," Ryoma remarked, and he could feel his irritation growing. His life didn't revolve around tennis. He had _other _problems too. Tennis, tennis, tennis – was that all he was good for? He wasn't even in the mood to play tennis right now. All that running around and chasing a ball – Ryoma sighed slightly. It seemed tiring.

Nanjiroh narrowed his eyes, and for a split second, Ryoma was sure he saw worry. But then he quickly grinned, "It's the girl problems, right?" he leaned forward with interest. "C'mon Seishounen, don't be shy! Tell your wonderful father about this hot girl you're into!"

"I already told you," Ryoma complained wearily. "I'm gay"

Nanjiroh interrupted him, waving his fork in the air, "Geez kid, that joke's getting old. It's not funny anymore."

Ryoma stared at him. He blinked.

"_Shut up._"

The dinner table quieted, and Nanjiroh brought down his fork. He narrowed his gaze.

"Oi, oi, oi…watch that tone," he said, voice half-playful, half-serious.

Rinko looked at Ryoma disapprovingly too, and Ryoma just ducked his head in turn. He hadn't exactly meant to tell his father to shut up in such a harsh tone, but it had just happened.

He was so _annoyed _with him. He didn't even know why.

_Unless…_

Maybe he should get a book on pregnancy. He really needed to get his facts straight. Wasn't this all happening too quickly? He already hated it. He felt so tired, and irritated, and moody – and it was only day _one. _Ryoma shifted in his seat. _Great. _To top it off, he needed to pee again.

He was going to kill Inui.

"Ryoma, have you had a rough day?" Rinko asked kindly.

Ryoma wondered why of all days to actually speak to him, she had to choose the day he hated the world. He glared at the pasta, and shook his head. "It was normal," He noticed his father had stopped babbling pointlessly like he was before, and instead had his newspaper splayed out before him.

"Normal, eh?" Nanjiroh raised an eyebrow, looking strangely somber. He turned to his wife. "I think there's something wrong with the gaki, Rinko."

Rinko fiddled with her fingers. "I'm sure he's fine."

"Maybe his precious buchou kicked him off the team," Nanjiroh chuckled.

That was _it _– the final straw. Ryoma pushed his chair in and abruptly stood up. He wasn't hungry, anyway, and the last thing he needed was to be made fun of further. For some reason, the words hurt more than they should have. Maybe because he cared so much about what Tezuka thought about him, and his father was being so insensitive, and – _damn it. _His eyes were burning. He needed to get out of there.

"I'm done," Ryoma snapped. He swiftly tucked his chair back in and made way for his bedroom.

"Hoi! Ryoma, I was just kidding!"

"Ryoma, sweetheart?"

Ignoring them both, Ryoma stormed up into his room, and collapsed onto his bed. His tired limbs greeted the bed eagerly, and he curled back under the warmth of the blankets. Karupin nudged at him curiously, as if sensing his master was upset, before joining him on the bed to sleep. The last thoughts that drifted through Ryoma's head before he fell asleep was that Inui-senpai would die if he didn't come up with a solution by tomorrow.

XXX

* * *

**VOTE****: I'm really torn between what to do for this story, so I'd really appreciate if you could vote between these two options. **

**Option #1: NO-PAIRINGS [This will just be Ryoma/Seigaku friendship. Some subtle hints might be unconsciously sprinkled, but in general, there won't be any pairings]**

**Option #2: PAIRINGS [It explains itself] **

**- If you agree with Option Two, which pairing?**

***OT3 [Ryoma/Fuji/Tezuka]**

***Pillar Pair [Ryoma/Tezuka]**

* * *

**Thank you! And I really appreciate all the feedback so far! ;) **


	3. Installment Three

Installment Three

* * *

**A/N: Had a complete heart attack at the review count. Thank you **_**so **_**much for the feedback. [Although I have a suspicion it was because I asked for the voting, but a girl can dream, right?] Although OT3 ultimately won, several people wanted Friendship, so I'm going to try to incorporate as much of the other regulars as I can as well.**

**EDIT: accidentally updated the same chapter. xD how embarrassing...**

* * *

"Yo, Echizen!"

Momoshiro's call brought Ryoma out of his reverie as he stormed out of the house. A permanent scowl was on his face as he marched over to the awaiting bike and friend. The morning had been nothing short of disastrous – his father had been an idiot again, his mom had left for work without making him breakfast, and he felt like utter crap for entirely no reason.

"Morning," his best friend sang cheerfully.

Ryoma glared at him darkly. "Hurry up. Or we'll have to run laps."

Momoshiro paused for a moment, and stared at Ryoma. "Woah, someone's grumpy this morning," the sophomore said with slight confusion. He blinked, and realization crossed his face. An evil grin spread to his cheeks. "Wait a second, this doesn't have to do with your _pregnancy symptoms_, does it?"

"Shut up," Ryoma grumbled.

"Aw," Momoshiro teased. "Is little Echizen Ryoma having mood swings?"

Ryoma glowered. His face was absolutely murderous. "I'm going to kill you."

"But why?" Momoshiro said innocently, leaning against the bike handle. "I haven't done anything wrong. I think you're just being moody."

"I'm _not,_" Ryoma snapped, boiling with anger. He wasn't having mood swings! He was just having an…off morning. Yes, that was it. This had nothing to do with the pregnancy symptoms. He was perfectly capable of controlling his emotions if he wanted to. Everything was _under _control. He wasn't even in a bad mood. Just slightly irritated.

Momoshiro good-naturedly ruffled his hair. "Don't worry about it. I think you've banned Inui from making any more juices."

"Isn't that great?" Ryoma said through clenched teeth. He couldn't believe how selfish Momoshiro was being. Here he was, suffering intensely from the pregnancy symptoms, and all his best friend cared about was not having to drink Inui Juice. Ryoma growled under his breath, and waited for Momoshiro to get onto the bike.

The violet-eyed teen seemed to notice the volcano about to erupt. "I was just kidding," he informed quickly, sliding onto the bike seat. He felt Ryoma's smaller hands grip one of his shoulders, and sighed under his breath. It was fun teasing Ryoma, but he didn't want to spend the week with a grumpy best friend.

"If we're late," Ryoma said, "I really will kill you."

Momoshiro wasn't sure if it was an empty threat. He chuckled nervously, "Calm down Echizen, I'll road rage my way through."

To prove his point, he started pedalling like mad down the street. The wind roared in his ears and leaves crunched under the bicycle wheels. Faintly, he heard Ryoma mutter behind him,

"I _am _calm."

Momoshiro snorted, and pedalled a little faster.

XXX

Ten minutes, they reached the club room. Ryoma scowled profusely and refused to even look at Momoshiro as he tore off his school clothes and threw on his Seigaku inform. Then, without waiting for his best friend, he stalked off towards the courts. He didn't care if Momoshiro was annoyed with his attitude- he was _tired_, in a bad mood, and was in no shape to go run extra laps.

When he reached the courts, he found the other regulars already in practice. Tezuka stood firmly on the front of the court, arms crossed, observing the tennis courts with great pursuit. Ryoma wondered if he could sneak past the captain.

He stared to hurry, but Tezuka caught him immediately.

"Echizen!" the captain called. "Over here."

Ryoma winced, and lugged himself over to where Tezuka was standing. The fatigue from yesterday had yet to wear off, and his muscles were sore and achy. "Buchou?" Ryoma asked, ducking his head in submission.

"Thirty extra laps for being late," Tezuka instructed.

The twelve-year old blinked, and straightened up. Normally, the captain only assigned twenty extra laps if someone was late. He didn't understand why today, there was suddenly thirty laps. Especially because Ryoma was more tired today. _It's like everyone's out to get me, _Ryoma thought, frustrated. He could feel his eyes getting moist, and frowned.

He hated these new emotions creeping into his mind. They made him feel weak, and powerless.

"Echizen?" Tezuka asked patiently since Ryoma had yet to move.

"Why thirty laps?" Ryoma demanded. "You normally assign only twenty."

Tezuka narrowed his eyes at the act of defiance. "If you don't learn from twenty, and still end up being late every day, it's only proper to increase the punishment." He paused. "I'm not asking anything unreasonable, Echizen."

Ryoma sunk in his merciless tone, and he could feel his eyes getting wetter. What was wrong with him? "Fine," he said, lower lip trembling. Before Tezuka could say another word, he quickly started running his laps around the court, forcing his aching legs to pound against the pavement.

Tezuka watched him go with slight concern. He hadn't meant to be harsh, but this was how he dealt with the team members. He wasn't acting any different. Perhaps the symptoms? Tezuka shook his head brusquely. He couldn't focus on that right now. His job, first and foremost, was to properly train his team. And proper punishments strung along with that goal.

Suddenly, the captain felt as if he were being watched. Tilting his head, he saw Fuji slide up to him, smiling sunnily.

"Echizen seems a bit upset, doesn't he?" the tennis prodigy mused. He leaned against the court fence and observed Tezuka. "You really should go easy on him."

"I wasn't-" Tezuka collected himself. "I was treating him like I always do."

"But he isn't _always _getting mood swings and pregnancy symptoms," Fuji explained calmly.

Tezuka's frown deepened. "What do you propose I do? I can't lower his laps just because he's frustrated with himself. It's unfair to the other club members."

"But it's unfair for him to be experiencing this in the first place, isn't it?" the words were soft, and spoken with ease, but Tezuka knew a challenge when he heard one. He focused harder on Fuji, who was suddenly smiling entirely too deceiving, his dark blue eyes open under the sunlight. It was hard to argue with something Fuji Syusuke uttered – and it was one of the things about Fuji that constantly intrigued Tezuka.

He sighed. "I'm not very familiar with pregnancy. Do you think he's more tired?"

"Maybe," Fuji grinned in satisfaction. "It's only the first day, so it's hard to tell."

Tezuka watched Ryoma run his first few laps, and adjusted his glasses.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Fuji."

"He looks tired already, and it's only his fifth lap."

Tezuka furrowed his brow. Ryoma passed by the fence, sweat trailing down his flushed face. It was obvious that he was putting a lot of effort into his laps, not to mention his distressed expression. Maybe he should lower the running until Inui came up with a counter-recipe. One glance at Fuji, who was giving him a threatening look, confirmed his decision.

"Echizen," the captain called. He waited patiently for Ryoma to jog up to him. When the boy approached them, he glared furiously, like Tezuka had done something horrible to him.

"Just do five more laps and you're done," Tezuka informed.

Ryoma looked surprised, but didn't argue. "Hai."

Fuji smirked from behind him. "Everything alright, Echizen? You look a little winded."

Ryoma was breathing heavily, and turned his glare at Fuji instead. "I'm fine," he snapped, trying to get his heart beat back into control. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand before nodding quickly to Tezuka and continuing his remaining laps.

Fuji watched him go. "He's a cute one, ne Tezuka?"

Tezuka just stared at his friend oddly.

XXX

Ryoma's sneakers pounded against the ground as he finished off his last lap. He was exhausted; his muscles were sore from head to toe, and all he wanted to do was collapse onto the ground and sleep. Unforunately, his tennis racket taunted him to start practicing.

"Hey, Echizen," Oishi caught up with him. Concern creased his face. "Are you alright from yesterday? You kinda just left."

Ryoma shrugged, still breathless. "My senpai-tachi were being mada mada dane."

Oishi frowned. "But you're okay? If you have any questions, I'd gladly be able to answer them for you."

Ryoma shot him an odd look. "How would _you _know?"

Oishi quickly flushed, and fidgeted nervously. "Nevermind."

He turned away from his kouhai, mumbling something about _being there for him,_ before hurriedly disappearing out of sight. Ryoma just blinked, and shrugged. He always had a feeling Oishi liked motherly things – knitting, cooking, learning about pregnancy. It all sort of fit him.

Ryoma took a step towards his racket, but before he could go further, a flash of red whizzed past him. The twelve-year old blinked, momentarily confused, before a suffocating feeling overpowered him. He wriggled uncomfortably as Kikumaru hugged him tightly. "Ochibi!" the red-head jumped up and down excitedly, bringing Ryoma with him. "I missed you!"

"You saw me yesterday."

"But still," Kikumaru pouted. He disentangled himself from his kouhai. "You were being unsociable back then."

Ryoma's eyes narrowed. "I hope you're not here to speak of-"

"You're pregnancy issue?" Kikumaru interrupted, eyes bright. "Don't worry about that. I heard you get weird cravings when you're pregnant. So whenever you find out what you're weird craving is, tell me, and I'll make you an unlimited supply of it." He leaned in to whisper, as if he was sharing a deep, dark secret. "I won't tell anyone, Ochibi."

"I don't have a weird craving," Ryoma said, annoyed.

"Not yet!" the acrobat said cheerfully. "But you _will_, Ochibi. Trust me on this." He then looked around wildly, and spotted Kaidoh. "Oi, Kaidoh, do people get weird cravings when their pregnant?"

Kaidoh, who was in the middle of swinging his racket to practice the boomerang snake, paused. He appeared flustered. "Senpai, what kind of question is that?"

Kikumaru pushed Ryoma in front of him. "He needs to know."

"I never asked," Ryoma growled.

The moment the second-year saw Ryoma, he became even more flustered. With gritted teeth, Kaidoh said gruffly, "I don't know," and whipped around to continue swinging his racket. It was obvious pregnancy was something outside his comfort zone.

Kikumaru frowned. "Well, you still believe me, right Ochibi?"

Ryoma took a deep breath, trying to control the urge to punch Kikumaru in the face. The acrobat was just s_o _happy, always bounding around with energy. Ryoma felt tired, and annoyed, and grumpy – and he was envious that his senpai got to act so carefree while he couldn't. "I don't care, go practice," Ryoma demanded.

Kikumaru's eyes flashed with hurt. "Hey!"

Ryoma met his eyes with a steady gaze. "Go away."

The red-head's mouth dropped open. "Ochibi's being a meanie!" he wailed, before running off to find Oishi for comfort. Ryoma watched as Kikumaru clung onto Oishi's shoulder, looking purely distressed at what Ryoma had said. The twelve-year old sighed, feeling slightly guilty, but mostly just relieved. He picked up his racket and glanced around for Momoshiro so he could start practice.

"Echizen?" Oishi appeared in front of him. Kikumaru was at his side, smiling in triumph.

Ryoma glanced up questioningly. "Hai?"

"Apologize to Eiji," the vice-captain said gently. "You hurt his feelings."

"Yeah, Ochibi, I'm very sad," Kikumaru informed him. He scrunched his face in pain, like he was actually terribly hurt over Ryoma's rudeness. Ryoma glared at him, and the tennis acrobat stuck out his tongue when Oishi wasn't looking. _Tattletale, _Ryoma thought to himself. Well, there was no way he was going to apologize.

"Yadda."

"Echizen!" Oishi exclaimed. "Just say sorry."

"Yadda," Ryoma repeated, running his fingers across the racket.

Oishi pursed his lips. "Fine," he sighed. "Let's leave it."

Kikumaru opened his mouth in protest, but Oishi hushed him and said quietly, "Just let it be. Remember, he'll get mood swings? It's better not to set him off."

Ryoma clenched his fist tighter around his racket, infuriated that they were talking about him like he wasn't even there. With a huff, and the most vicious glare he could muster towards Oishi, he stormed off to the opposite direction of the court. Where was Momoshiro _anyway?_ Oh, right. He was running his laps.

The twelve-year old wished he could go to bed again. And kill Inui.

"Echizen!"

Tezuka's voice startled him out of his boiling anger, and Ryoma looked over his shoulder to see Tezuka's eyes on him expectantly. Sighing to himself, Ryoma straightened up and walked towards where the captain was standing. He noticed that Fuji was pleasantly standing behind him. The smile on the prodigy's face seemed to grow when Ryoma approached them.

"Echizen," Tezuka greeted.

Ryoma shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, buchou?"

The captain's brown eyes looked oddly despondent, the gaze lingering firmly on Ryoma's face. "We actually have a bit of a problem. Inui brought it up to me yesterday. I'm not sure if you heard or not."

"All I heard was that I wouldn't be able to play tennis if I'm pregnant," Ryoma huffed. "But I don't see the problem, since I'm not a_ctually _pregnant." He paused. "Plus, won't the counter-recipe be done before Friday's tournament?"

Tezuka focused on him. "Echizen, your stamina clearly shows that you'll be exhausted before even halfway of the game. It's not healthy for you to push yourself to play, even if they're only symptoms." The brunette paused, and said in a gentler tone, "Inui said it will take at least a week for the counter-recipe to be completed."

A startled look crossed Ryoma's face. He took a step backwards, a mixture of horror and fear flickering in his eyes. "A w_eek_?" he repeated. Dread flooded through his body – he couldn't survive a week of this! It already made him feel weak and horrible…and it had only been the first day! He anxiously looked towards Tezuka, who didn't seem to be joking.

"I can't," Ryoma said. "Make him do it quicker."

"Echizen-"

"I refuse to not play," Ryoma repeated stubbornly. "You can't do that to me."

The desperation and panic in Ryoma's tone made Tezuka's heart melt with sympathy. However, he was determined to handle the situation with ease, and didn't show a trace of his emotions in his eyes. Instead, he met Ryoma's gaze evenly.

"I'm sorry Echizen, but you won't be participating in the game against St. Rudolph."

The finalism in his tone struck a nerve. Ryoma flinched. "Why not?" he said, voice beginning to shake. "Is it because…of that game? That we played? And you beat me…" his body trembled, and Ryoma could feel his eyes burning with tears. It wasn't fair. Everyone was being so a_wful _towards him. And why was he crying? He _couldn't _cry.

"Echizen?" Tezuka looked stunned. "Are you alright?"

"Just because you beat me, you don't think I'm good enough anymore?" Ryoma snapped, and the tears threatened to spill over his cheeks. He didn't know what he was saying – the only thing he knew was that he _hated _everything, including Tezuka right now. "You think I'm bad and can't be a good pillar…" Ryoma sniffled, and a stray tear trickled down his face. He rubbed at it with the sleeve of his shirt. "You think I'm a bad tennis player."

Tezuka stared in disbelief as Ryoma started to cry. Flustered, the captain tried to correct the accusation. "Echizen, of course not, I don't know where you're getting this idea…"

"Don't lie," Ryoma choked out. He ducked his head so they couldn't see the tears flooding his face. His shoulders shook. "Everyone hates me now. You won't let me play because I'm not good enough, and Kikumaru-senpai said I'm mean…and they keep saying I have mood swings!" Ryoma looked up, and glared through his tears. "I'm not!"

Tezuka blinked. Clearly that was a lie. "Echizen, it's obvious that the pregnancy symptoms are affecting you to believe this." There was something gnawing in Tezuka's stomach – an odd concern that wouldn't go away. He felt like hugging the twelve-year old to make him stop crying, but his muscles didn't move.

"It's not the symptoms," Ryoma said hoarsely. "You're just being unfair to me…"

"That's not true," Tezuka protested. "It's for your own well-being."

"No!"

Tezuka watched anxiously, unsure of what to do with the situation. He was trying his best to deal with the it, and explain to Ryoma that none of the stuff he had said was true, but the boy wasn't comprehending properly. "Echizen," the captain said wearily. "Please try to understand-"

"Tezuka," Fuji's swift voice cut in. Tezuka had honestly forgotten the tennis genius was even there.

"This," Fuji said with slight admonishment, "Is obviously not your forte."

Fuji then proceeded to wrap his arms around Ryoma's slender body, enveloping him in a tight hug. Ryoma sniffled into his chest, and the prodigy cooed, ruffling his hair. "It's alright Echizen," he purred in a soft tone, "I won't let them be unfair to you." He stroked the hair of the boy lovingly, murmuring comforting words into his ear. Ryoma relaxed slightly. "Fuji-senpai," he mumbled, leaning against him. "They were being so…awful."

"I know, don't worry Ryo-chan…"

Tezuka narrowed his eyes, and odd feeling of jealousy and longing burning in the pit of his stomach – but he mostly just shook his head in a chastising manner. Fuji was hugging the boy a little closer than necessary, and Tezuka had a feeling Seigaku's genius was enjoying himself greatly. Fuji had once spoken to him about how cute Ryoma was, and how nice it would be to coddle him.

And did Fuji just call Ryoma _Ryo-chan_? It was all too much for Tezuka to process.

Once Fuji was done, Ryoma had calmed down, and the prodigy was smiling with delight.

"Feeling better, Echizen?" the tensai asked.

Ryoma stared at the ground, looking embarrassed at his small breakdown. He didn't know what had come over him – Tezuka hadn't said anything that wasn't reasonable, and he had started shouting and crying about him being unfair. Despite that, he couldn't help but be grateful towards Fuji. He was the only person who had a_greed _with his emotions, and helped him calm down.

Ryoma sighed slightly, face flushed. He had no control over himself anymore, and he hated it.

"Echizen," Tezuka finally cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'll reconsider your entry against St. Rudolph. But if you get more tired as the week goes on, you understand that I can't let you play, right?"

"I understand," Ryoma grumbled, although his mood lifted slightly at the reconsideration.

"Alright," the captain instructed. He observed Ryoma's fragile state of mind, and his eyes softened. "You go practice for now."

The twelve-year old nodded, dragging himself over to where the bench was to get some water. Both Fuji and Tezuka watched him go, the former with a frown, and the latter with a bright smile. "He really is adorable," Fuji fixed his stare onto Tezuka, who appeared uncomfortable at the remark. He shrugged.

"He's young."

"And cute," Fuji smirked. "Right Tezuka?"

Tezuka tried not to glare. "Fuji, I don't want to have to assign you laps."

Fuji smiled calmly. "For doing what? Calling Echizen cute?" he paused, and his lips spread wider. "He really is cute at times. Although…" Fuji leaned forward slightly. "A flustered Tezuka isn't so bad either."

Tezuka was left in a state of shock as Fuji slithered across the cluster of tennis players. His muscles felt stiff from the casual opinion, and his mouth was dry from laps that weren't yet commanded. Shaking his head, he tried to forget about Ryoma crying over nothing and Fuji's unusual words, and instead focused on the rest of the regulars.

Life was becoming much too complicated for his liking.

XXX

Ryoma was drying his sweaty hair with a towel and sipping on his water bottle when Inui walked up to him.

The freshman hadn't seen Inui all day during practice, and the moment his eyes met with the pair of black glasses, Ryoma bolted up from his spot on the bench. He marched straight up to the tall player, not caring that he was his senpai, and stood firmly underneath him. A dangerous spark lit up his gold eyes.

"I want the counter-drink."

Inui adjusted his glasses. "I'm sure Tezuka has informed you that the drink will take at least a wee-"

"I don't care," Ryoma hissed. "I want it by tomorrow."

Inui took a step back, slightly startled. A moody Ryoma was definitely frightening, and he didn't even bother to take out his notebook to record the fact. He had a feeling he wouldn't forget it.

"There's an 85% chance you have already experienced some symptoms, and are desperate to relieve yourself of them."

"Brilliant," Ryoma said. He narrowed his eyes. "I still want the drink."

Inui composed himself. "I'm afraid that's impossible."

Ryoma looked like he was about to argue, and yell, but he just slumped his shoulders and nodded in resignation. "Fine, Ch'," he muttered unhappily, grabbing his racket. Even though he wanted to throw a tantrum of some sort, he was already embarrassed from crying, and was determined not to lose control of his emotions yet again.

He slung the racket over his shoulder. "Whatever, Inui-senpai. But if it's not done by a week, I'm going to tell buchou to make you run a million laps."

Inui nodded with relief. "Alright. That's fine."

The data-player watched Ryoma stalk away to play a practice match with Momoshiro, and hurriedly whipped out his notebook. He flipped hastily through the pages, until he found the one he was looking for. Quickly, he scrawled a few calculations down, and the colour drained from his face as he did so.

It appeared that the drink would take a little more than a week to be complete. Maybe two weeks.

Inui quickly shut his notebook. Ryoma didn't need to know that.

Not yet, anyway.

* * *

**Was the crying too weird? Well, I researched [Although I already kind of knew] and they say girls cry a loooot when their pregnant, over like the tiniest things. Obviously, since Ryoma's a boy and rarely cries, I'm not going to make him cry as often as the average girl would, but it **_**will **_**happen occasionally. Hopefully no one gets drawn away from the story because of that. xD **

**Thanks for reading! **


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